Eruit jar holder and lid tightener



-Oct. 9, 1945. R, F. HEM 2,386,460

' FRUIT JAR HOLDER AND LID TIGHTENER Q 7 Filed Sept. 18." 1943 IWENTOR.

. ATTORNEY.

Patented Oct. 9, 1945 V mm JAR scrum AND 1 a test Rjl -I eim, StQJ oseph Mo.

aApplication September 18,1943; Serial No. 502,981-

' Myinvention "relates tdnertainhw-and use ful means for securely holding-ta fruit jar -while tightening the caps, and means to grip'the caps while the tightening forces are Qbein'gapplied.

P :Primarily the invention has for its 'obje'ct to provide a device that can be made fromcertain kinds of hard wood which are not 'usedin" defense work. Another object'is to provide such'a' de vice which'when made of Wood can lie-shaped with machines that are at present-probably 'idle',;'-a's for example'jig-sawmachines;

. Another obje'ct 'is to provide, one unit',; a

I jar'holde'rthat can be'remov'ably secured to ":a

table orsimilar support'and held' in its*jar grip .ping positio'n 'by'leg pressure, thereby leaving the usershands freeto' manipulate a jar cove or capturning clamp unit. 1

' A sti1lifurther-objeotis' 'ito provideapparatus for use inhousehold canning'operati'ons totighten the "covers or caps-"on jars'jwhich apparatus is n'omcorroding; can 'be readily taken'fap'aft r cleaning, and ca use'de n ars df dilferent shapes.

Another object is to provide apparatus of the kind heretofore mentioned that can be made of plastic, hard rubber (natural or synthetic), or

any other suitable material, by die stamping,

molding or other known methods.

Other objects will in part be obvious and in j part pointed out hereinafter.

To the attainment of the aforesaid objects and ends the invention still further resides in the novel details of construction, combination and arrangement of parts, all of which will be first 7 described in the following detailed description,

and then be particularly pointed out in the appended; claims, reference being had to the ac companying drawing, in which:'

Fig. 1 is an isometric perspective view of'my 7 invention in use. s

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the jar clamp open, parts being broken away. r

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the cap or cover clamp open, parts being removed.

Fig. 4 is an end view, looking in the direction of the arrow in Fig. 1.

In the drawing inwhich like letters and numerals of reference indicate like parts in allthe figures, I and 2 indicate the two parts of the jar clamp unit, detachably connected by a pivot connection consisting of a cylindrical socket 3 in the member 2 and a cylindrical projection 3 o the member I, which fits the socket.

When the device is made from one piece of wood, the socket 3 is lined with a thin strip of veneer l3 to-fill the void left by the saw around the pivot projection 3. i This veneernot only gives the hinge'a smooth action but also reinforces the cross-grain of the wood. i

The member 2 has. a pin receiving slot to receive a pin-4 on the pivot-projection 3 when the parts land 2 are held together, and thus prevent thevhinge' joint separating: However when theyparts "I and-2 are; opened apart to V their fullest extent (limited by contact of the end I with the shoulder 2 the hinge joint can be disconnected,

The jaw' parts {and '2 have complementary recesses 5 and 6 formed and shapedto' receive jars that ar either round-or square and of the larger or smaller sizes (see'Fig. 2). The recesses 5 and} are preferably lined with .felt or other friction strip material M to hold the jars firmly in' place when body pressure is applied against handle-lever I0 ('see Fig. 1). g

The jar clamp maybe, and pre ferablyris ias- 'tened to atable l or other suitable support by means of an angle piece I2 carrying a clamp screw 8 and having dowel holes to receive dowel pins II (Figs; 2 and 4). The angle piece l2, operating through the dowels. II and screws 8 serves, to clamp the part 2 firmly to the support I. Since the handle-lever l0 projects beyond the table edge it may be pressed towards the handle 9,to close the clamp firmly about the jar J by pressure of ones leg L.

The lid clamp is of substantially the same construction as the jar clamp save that it need have but one hold and short handles 25. The pivot member 2| and liner I! are of the same construction as the pivot member 3 and liner l3. Preferably there is provided a slight hump or projection at 24 which prevents the members I6, 25 and I8, 25 contacting unless sprung together by squeezing the handles 25 together, thus obtaining a spring action between the parts so that these slightly open when pressure is released to allowthe jaws to disengage the lid.

The lid clamp l6, l8 may be operated by one hand as indicated in Fig. l, or, by placing the left hand over the hinge and grasping the handles 25 with the right hand, the device may be turned by both hands.

As shown in Fig. 3 the pivot member 2| of the hinge has a pin 22 while the member l6 has a of the jaw members I 6, l8. when the device is r in use but permitting them to be separated when in the fully open position shown in Fig. 3, by

lifting the member 2| along its axis out of the socket.

The jar clamp unit I and 2 may be operated on the left side of table 1, as shown in Fig. 1, or said jar clamp may be turned upside down and operated on the reverse side by being fastened to the right side of table I.

The dowel pins I I are spaced in such a position on part 2 that they will fit into the dowel holes of part I2 fromeither end.

From thev foregoing description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, it is thought the construction, operation and advantages of my invention will be clear to those skilled in the art, and I desire it understood that changes in the design, form and details of construction may be made within the scope of the claims appended hereto, without departure from the invention.

What I claim is:

1. A clamp comprising two wooden bodies having adjacent straight edges and; each" having onehalfi an article receiving opening, one of said bodies adjacent one end having; a generally cylindrical'opening through the same and a passage from said opening through the aforesaid straight edge of that body, the other body having a laterally projected generally cylindrical pivot to fit within said generally cylindrical opening and said passage and constitute therewith a hinge joint, means tolimit the opening movement of the clamp. and a pin and slot connection between the elements of the hinge joint preventing their separation save when the clamp is fully open, said two clam-pmembers each having a handle.

2. A' clamp com-prising two wooden bodies having adjacent straight edges and each having. onehalf an article receiving opening, one of said bodies adjacent one end having a generally cylindrical opening through the same and a passage from said opening through the aforesaid straight edge of that body, the other body having a laterally projected generally cylindrical pivot to fit within said generally cylindrical opening and said passage and constitute therewith a hinge joint, means to limit the opening movement of the clamp, and a pin and slot connection between the elements of the hinge joint preventing their separation save when the clamp is fully open, said two clamp members each having a handle, and means to effect a slight opening of the clamp when clamping pressure is: released from the handles.

3. In a clamp composed of two clamp levers, the improvement which includes a cylindrical socket in one lever and a cylindrical member on the other lever and adapted to fit within said socket and-therewith constitute the pivotal fulcrum for the levers, one of said levers at the pivotal fulcrum having aslot and the other lever having a pin disposed to enter said slot while the clamp is in use and to leave said slot When the levers are separated a predetermined distance, said clamp-levers having between them at least one article-receiving opening.

4. The clamp of claim 3 wherein there is provided a: suitable liner in said socket for purposes withinsaid generally cylindricalopen-ing and said passage and constitutingtherewith a hinge joint, means to limit the opening movement of the clamp, and a connection-maintaining means between. the elements of. the clamp members to prevent their being separable alon the axis of the hingejoint save when-the clamp is fully open, said two clampmembers having a handle.

RUDOLPH F. HEIM. 

